The present invention relates generally to accessories for tools for initially holding spark plugs thereto, and particularly to accessories for wrench sockets for initially holding spark plugs captive therein and their method of fabrication.
While installing spark plugs, it is often desirable to maintain the spark plug with the tool until threading is initially underway. Often it was necessary to hold the spark plug relative to the tool with one hand while the tool was manipulated with the other hand. Because of limitations in space, access to the spark plug by the hand holding the spark plug and also by the tool itself was difficult if not impossible. Furthermore, due to the proximity of the hand to the spark plug and the tool, the hand initially holding the spark plug to the tool was especially prone to accidental injury. Thus, there is a well known need in the art for methods for temporarily holding the spark plug to the tool until the threading is initially underway.
Prior to the present invention, keeper accessories utilized rubber or similar material inserts in the socket to frictionally grip the spark plug. However, as frictionally gripping is very dependent upon physical size and coefficient of friction, such approaches have not been entirely satisfactory. Specifically, spark plugs have different configurations between manufacturers, which configurations change over time. Also, such inserts were especially prone to wear due to their frictional interaction with spark plugs such that physical size changed over time. Further, the coefficient of friction also varies with hardness such as the result of temperature or age, environmental conditions such as the presence of grease or oil, and the like.
Several methods have been devised for the use of magnetic forces to retain fasteners to the tool during fastening or removal of the fasteners. However, approaches to use magnetic forces to retain spark plugs to the tool have previously attempted to magnetically attract the body of the spark plug which is the largest magnetic material mass of the spark plug. Acceptance of such prior approaches in the art has been limited due to the inherent deficiencies in such prior approaches. For example, many of such approaches required specially manufactured and designed tools to incorporate the spark plug retention feature and thus could not be utilized when the spark plug retention feature was not desired and could not be utilized with standard tools already in use. Further, many of such approaches magnetized the entire tool so that the tool was not only magnetically attracted to the spark plug but also to any metal in the path of the tool to the fastening location as well as metal surrounding the fastening location such as an engine block. Another approach was to utilize inserts which fit into a larger size of socket for use in installing or removing smaller sized spark plugs corresponding to the size of the insert and not the socket. Furthermore, many of such approaches were of complicated, multipiece designs incapable of being economically manufactured and assembled.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a novel accessory for use in a wrench socket without need for modifying the wrench socket and for preventing spark plugs from sliding from the well of the socket to hold the spark plug captive in the well while the socket is being moved to the fastening location and while the spark plug is being initially threaded. In this regard, such a tool will be especially helpful in hard-to-get-at fastening locations and at greater efficiencies. Further, as many accidents happen when working in such hard-to-get-at fastening locations, the accessory will reduce the exposure of injury to the user's hand which was otherwise required to hold the spark plug in the wrench socket. Furthermore, the accessory will reduce the chance of injury due to sharp threads cutting fingers holding the spark plug while trying to initially thread the threaded portion of the spark plug. Likewise, the accessory will allow persons having handicaps or other disabilities to utilize wrench sockets in fastening situations which they otherwise were unable to perform.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel accessory which captures the spark plug in the well of the socket but also does not magnetize the socket or the spark plug captured therein to such a degree to cause detrimental attraction of the socket and the spark plug to metal surrounding the fastening location. For example, the socket and spark plug will not be attracted to the metal block of an engine as it is moved adjacent thereto to the fastening location. In this regard, the accessory will increase efficiency and productivity. Specifically, the spark plug is captured in the socket in a desired position and will not change orientation and/or fall therefrom due to gravitational forces. Thus, threading of the spark plugs is easier to start with one hand operation.